Rural Innovation
Innovation - the ability to get new ideas and new ways of doing things to market - is central to building jobs and prosperity in regional NSW.
The people of regional NSW have a strong desire to see their regions succeed. They are working together in new and innovative ways to build their future prosperity.
The Innovation Council is working with the regions, helping the regions get the 'good news' message out, of how the country is producing top quality, world competitive products and services.
Rural Inventors
The Innovation Council is working with ‘The Land’ newspaper to support innovation in the regions through the Rural Innovators Award. The Council awards a Rural Innovators Prize at the Orange National Field Day, run by The Land. The $5,000 award goes to the farm invention with the most significant commercialisation prospects.
If you wish to enter the Rural inventors Award contact John Dwyer on bm.theland@ruralpress.com.au or phone (02) 4570 444.
Winner 2003
Baler Pick-up Front
Brandon Edwards of Gunnedah, invented the Baler Pick-up Front, which attaches to the front of a baler header. It is hydraulically driven and helps pick up plant material out of furrows in hay making applications. The concept is simple but effective and increases hay yields significantly thereby increasing revenue, it also prevents soil and rocks being picked up into the baling machine, and so further increases revenue by reducing machinery maintenance downtime and extending the machinery life.
Brandon Edwards was also awarded two prizes in The Land and GrainCorp Farm Inventor of the Year Competition which was judged consecutively with the Innovation Council prize. In the Farm Inventor of the Year Competition, Brandon was awarded first prize in the over $1,000 category in the Orange Regional competition, and second prize in the over $1,000 category in the National finals.
Winner 2002
Benco Banger
Rick Bennett and Tony Cook of Tottenham in the State’s Central West, whose Benco Banger invention safely and quickly dislodges and replaces plough points, are also at the stage of marketing their product commercially.
Winner 2001
High-Speed Farming Reaps Rewards
Christopher Jones, a Condoblin farmer who invented a high-speed disc planter, able to operate at least twice the speed of normal machines. The disc planter delivers significant fuel savings for the farmer and as a consequence, a major reduction of greenhouse gases. The enhanced profile that resulted from the prize was instrumental in Chris Jones and Broderick Machinery, West Wyalong, being able to take a revolutionary seed drill from prototype to commercial production.
In addition, the prize was used to develop a marketing strategy that has enabled the company to develop sales Australia-wide and to generate international interest.